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As Diesel Prices Surge, Trump Administration Moves to Make Fueling Large Trucks Even More Expensive

The Trump administration finalized a rule weakening Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for heavy-duty commercial vehicles, a move that will increase diesel dependence and fuel costs for truckers and consumers amid surging diesel prices. Sierra Club's Clean Transportation for All Director Katherine García criticized the decision as a giveaway to Big Oil, noting oil companies have earned over $125 billion in profits this year.

read2 min views1 publishedAug 28, 2026
As Diesel Prices Surge, Trump Administration Moves to Make Fueling Large Trucks Even More Expensive
Image: Cleantechnica (auto-discovered)

Support CleanTechnica's work througha Substack subscription,on Patreon, oron Stripe. Help us produce all of thehigh-quality, original content we publish week after weekdespite the challenges of content-scraping AI, antisocial media, inflation, and other hurdles.*WASHINGTON, D.C. — *Today, the Trump administration finalized a rule setting up a weakening Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for heavy-duty commercial vehicles.

Heavy-duty vehicles are responsible for a significant share of the transportation sector’s pollution. Weakening fuel efficiency standards will make it harder for trucking fleets to reduce their reliance on diesel, leaving truck drivers, businesses, and ultimately consumers more exposed to volatile fuel prices.

The Trump administration is poised to finalize its roll back of the CAFE standards for light-duty vehicles, forcing drivers to pay more at the pump at a time of soaring gas prices.

In response to today’s announcement about the heavy-duty fuel efficiency standards, Sierra Club’s Clean Transportation for All Director Katherine García released the following statement:

“Leave it to the Trump administration to make things even more expensive at a time when diesel prices are soaring and families are already struggling with the high cost of everyday goods. This pro-polluter move is a blatant giveaway to Big Oil; oil companies have raked in more than $125 billion in profits so far this year. Weakening fuel efficiency standards for heavy-duty trucks means locking truckers and businesses into greater dependence on diesel and greater exposure to volatile fuel prices, costs that will ultimately get passed down to consumers.

“More efficient trucks save fuel, reduce operating costs, and give our economy a stronger defense against volatile oil prices. This administration is once again making it harder for Americans to make ends meet during an affordability crisis. We need transportation policies that lower costs, protect public health, and move us toward a cleaner, more resilient economy.”

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